The center of the curve has “eclipse” embossed in the panel (ThermalRock calls this a “watermark”), and plastic rivets secure the window.

Two latches secure the windowed panel. The topmost latch can be locked. As we proceed, you’ll see that ThermalRock has incorporated a total of three security features into the Eclipse chassis. Is this overkill? Perhaps, but as the old saying goes, “better to have it and not need it…….”.

Moving to the rear, we see a fairly conventional layout dominated by the 120mm fan grill with a lot of open area to minimize airflow restriction from the included exhaust fan. Just below this, we have two sets of keys for the window latch and front bezel. Two monstro thumbscrews are included at the right while regular screws pull duty on the left. As you can see from the area around the PSU opening, the Eclipse is a shade wider than the average mid-tower case. Like most high-end cases, the Eclipse doesn’t include a power supply, leaving that choice up to the end-user.

The right panel is unremarkable, without decoration or ventilation holes. At the bottom right of the bezel, we have the locking mechanism (security feature #2), audio ports, two USB2 and one Firewire port. The quarter-inch gap between the doors and bezel should provide plenty of air for the front intake, but, like many doored cases, may preclude the use of some bay devices with protruding knobs or switches.

Unfortunately, any cables or devices plugged into the ports will interfere with the door, preventing it from opening fully.

For this review I decided to save the front for last (actually next to last). We’ve got a lot to discuss here and I don’t want to leave anything out, so please bear with me. For a black case, the Eclipse has many different textural and color nuances, stretching my limited photographic skills and equipment to the breaking point. I literally took hundreds of photos trying to capture the various finish elements that ThermalRock has incorporated into the Eclipse. My success in this endeavor was limited, at best. It truly looks much better than the photos.

The front doors are made of aluminum with a brushed finish and appear to be anodized black. Just below the CD storage feature are four clear plastic rectangles (two on each door). These are flush with the door face and the bottom two double as power and HDD activity lights. We’ll see these in action later on. Near the bottom are a number of slots that appear to be, but are not, ventilation openings. Behind the aluminum door face is a very shiny black material that contrasts nicely with the brushed finish.